Dark Disasters
by Melody's last song
Summary: Right before a mission, something attacks Naruto in an alleyway and he mysteriously disappears after being found and treated in a hospital. Evil spreads and threatens to wipe out the village. Can team 7 pull through to save Naruto and the village?
1. A new mission

**Disclaimer: ** The Naruto and Sonic the Hedgehog characters do not belong to me! I could say I owned the Naruto Characters and the Sonic the Hedgehog characters but I won't for three obvious reasons. 1) Everyone would know otherwise and I would be flamed until I burned to death, 2)I don't imagine their creators would be too happy, and 3) I'm more or less an honest person and do not wish to steal from others. So there you have it.

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Naruto waited impatiently as the minutes slowly ticked by, each second agonizingly slow as his stomach rumbled and pleaded for food. "One minute…" he mumbled, "A minute fifteen seconds…a minute twenty seconds…" He slammed his hands down on the table and yelled, "HURRY UP AND FINISH COOKING ALREADY! I HAVEN'T ALL DAY!" The bowl of instant ramen obviously didn't heat up any faster.

"I'm soooo hungry…" He complained to himself, grabbing his leaf-blade protector from the table and strapping it on his forehead. He scratched his head, slightly messing up his own yellow hair which stuck up anyway, then stared at one of his Anti-Sasuke Posters for the next two minutes. Finally the ramen finished cooking and he grabbed the cup, slurping the noodles down greedily. In a matter of seconds, he was finished and was racing out the door.

Keeping up his relentless pace, Naruto sped through the village streets, knocking over a few carefree villagers. He skidded to a halt in a grass clearing not too far away from the last signs of inhabitance, almost knocking down a small sapling just beginning to spread out its leaves to the sunlight for spring. Naruto laughed to himself as he thought, "For once, I'm actually on time!"

He nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard a quiet voice behind him, "Finally come, Naruto?" The Ninja-in-training whirled around in surprise to see Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi all standing with their arms crossed.

Sasuke smirked then taunted, "You're three minutes late…what have you been doing, making Ramen?"

Naruto laughed, trying to hide his embarrassment, "No, of course not…heh heh…why would you think something like that!"

Sakura smacked him upside the head as she yelled, "BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOODLES ALL DOWN YOUR FRONT, IDIOT!"

Naruto rubbed his head, looking down at his chest, and quickly wiped the noodles off as he thought, "They could have told me quietly…that stupid Sasuke…"

"Settle down, settle down." Kakashi ordered, "Now that we're all here, we need to discuss our newest mission. It's a rank higher than what we've normally done before but I think you're up to the challenge." He watched the interest enter Team seven's faces as they stared at him eagerly, awaiting the instructions. Kakashi smiled under his mask. "There have been reports of strange happenings on the outskirts of our village…it's up to us to figure out exactly what's causing these events and put a stop to them." He didn't wait for questions, instead, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a book, reading to himself as the members of team seven spoke in soft whispers.

Naruto didn't seem impressed by their assignment. "Yeah right, above our level!" he scoffed, "All we have to do is watch some area…not too difficult!"

Sasuke offered some input, "Whatever it is must be powerful enough to cause enough worry for it to be assigned as a mission…"

"Yeah, Sasuke-kun is right!" Sakura chimed in, "Besides, stopping this thing will be an adventure! And if it gets too dangerous, Sasuke-kun will protect me!"

"Sasuke-kun will protect me!" Naruto mimicked, annoyance flashing on his face. "It's probably just some dumb animal scaring little kids!"

"Naruto, you're just afraid!" Sakura answered.

Sasuke smirked and turned his back on the pair, walking off. He didn't turn as Naruto yelled, "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO! I'M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU!" Without looking, Sasuke sidestepped as Naruto came charging towards him. Naruto couldn't stop and ran straight into the sapling, this time knocking it down in a shower of splinters.

"Hmph…" Sasuke said as Sakura giggled, hands over her mouth.

Naruto glared at him indignantly as he thought bitterly, "Why does Sakura-chan even have to like him? He's so annoying!" He stood up, yanking a few splinters from the palm of his hand, blue eyes full of annoyance, verging on hatred.

Kakashi looked up from his reading, "Guys, a part of being on the same team is teamwork so stop trying to kill each other and get along! Besides, I can't concentrate on my book!"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei…" They answered simultaneously, still glaring angrily at each other.

Finally Kakashi asked, "Why are you all standing around here for? Can't you see I'm trying to read! Go home, rest up, and prepare yourself for tomorrow's mission."

The three students walked their separate ways. Naruto reached home as he grumbled to himself, "All that getting ready just for one short meeting!" He sat at his table where he shoved the empty ramen cups out of his way and began sketching another bad picture of Sasuke. He sprawled a nasty slogan underneath before hanging it up and scowling to himself. "That Sasuke…he just gets on my last nerves!"

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The third Hokage sat peering into his crystal ball, watching the group carefully as he muttered to himself, "If they ever want to move up to higher missions, they need to learn to work together…"

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**Well…it was short…but I usually write what I like to call Manga-chapters…which are really short. Don't sue me cuz the writing quality isn't the best it could be…I just haven't been in a writing mood lately and I'm suffering a painful loss. This was to cheer me up mostly…but I decided to post it anyways b/c I haven't been updating my other stories. Read and Review…I wanna get some emails other than the sad ones I've been receiving lately. And please no flames.**


	2. Enter Shadow

**Disclaimer:** If I owned the Naruto characters, I wouldn't be typing this annoying disclaimer, now would I? And if you thought I owned the Naruto characters, you wouldn't be reading this, now would you? Either that or you would be looking shocked at this time. So must I really say it? Oh well…I don't own the characters from Naruto or Sonic the hedgehog…(disclaimers…my bane…)

**Here's another chapter of this Naruto story! I've been bored all day so I figured I should do something constructive…so here's the end result. For those of you who might like Redwall, I have two ideas for Redwall fanfictions and I'm going to write the first few chapters of one in the next week or so! Don't forget to send in a review! (it would be appreciated anyways)**

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Naruto woke up earlier than normal due to the suns strong rays bursting through his window and onto his face. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning before he tied his forehead protector to his head. "Is it really morning?" he thought, shielding his eyes against the sun, unwilling to wake up completely. He glanced at his clock, eyes half closed, then snapped wide awake, "WHAT!" he yelled, "ONLY FIVE-THIRTY! WHY THE HECK IS IT SO LIGHT OUTSIDE!"

Naruto slumped back onto his pillow, instantly falling back asleep. He mind cascaded deep into a dream.

_Naruto was sitting in his house as he ate ramen_ (no surprises there)_. A blue blur rushed by the house at tremendous speeds, causing the trees and even the house to sway. Naruto looked out the window, scratching his head in slight confusion. "What was that?" he asked himself, "It moved with lightning speed whatever it was…maybe there is a jutsu for that or something." He thought nothing more of it as he finished his ramen and enjoyed his day off._

Some random images flashed by at lightning speed then sent him into a maelstrom before he ended up elsewhere in a dream.

_He and Sasuke were arguing over something petty (also no surprises there), each flaring up in anger. The yelling escalated into a full out fight between the two. Naruto could feel the nine-tail fox screaming to be unleashed and Sasuke was already charging up some of his chakra against him. They ran towards each other but Sasuke leapt into the air and came from above. Naruto charged a rasengan, ready to slam it into Sasuke as he came down. They were totally ignoring Sakura who was pleading for the two to stop._

Naruto burst into wakefulness and scratched his head, "That was weird…" he thought as he rolled out of bed and glanced at the clock. "I guess I better get moving," he muttered to himself, "I've got to find out the details of this so-called mission we have…"

He walked to the kitchen, feet dragging, and slumped down into a chair, grabbing a bowl of ramen. He thought better of it, and threw it back down, for some reason not having much of an appetite for his favorite food. He groaned to himself, somehow just knowing today would not be his day.

Finally getting the energy to move, he trudged out the door, barely noticing he was going the wrong way until he reached an alley he had never seen before. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud, clenching his fists in frustration as he realized he was completely lost. "How the heck am I supposed to explain this to Kakashi-sensei…what a pathetic way to be late…" he mumbled to himself.

The alley was dirty and forsaken, as if no one but the lowest of thieves ventured into his dark passageways. Naruto was keenly aware of the echoing of his footsteps as he followed the winding pathways, feeling along the filthy walls as the light became dimmer and dimmer.

"I didn't even know a place such as this existed in this village…" he remarked to himself as he stopped to rest. He looked upward, surprised to not even see the sky. "It's like I transported into another world…a darker world that enjoys making shinobi late for their meetings…" he sighed and thought, "Maybe I'm going the wrong way…"

Taking a few more steps, he ran face-first into a dead-end and fell to the ground, holding his nose in pain. "WHAT THE—WHO PUT THAT DUMB WALL THERE ANYWAYS!" he screamed. His voice resounded through the whole alley. He rolled over onto his hands and knees and pushed himself back to his feet. Just as he was standing straight again, he noticed something gleaming in the dirt.

Bending down to pick it up, Naruto examined the sullied object, squinting through the darkness. He wiped it with his sleeve, rubbing really hard until the object lit up in brilliant red light. He shielded his face, amazed at the brightness such a small object could produce. Surely this must be something from another world.

He whirled around as a dark, smooth voice hissed, "Drop the jewel, kid. It belongs to me…" The outline of someone a good two feet shorter than him emerged from the darkness, hiding in the shadows as he watched him with fierce red eyes.

Naruto stared in the direction of the voice, slowly inching the jewel into his pocket as he challenged, "Not a chance! Finders keepers; if you want this thing, you'll have to fight me for it and I can kick your butt anytime, believe it!"

The owner of the voice laughed in a quiet, creepy sort of way and answered calmly, "Very well then. I'll take it by force."

Moving with lightning speed, the shape charged at him, knocking him flat on his back with a few well aimed kicked. Naruto grunted in pain, leaping up with one swift motion and held his hands close to him defensively, ready to perform the hand signs for a jutsu if necessary. The jewel was snuggly tucked in one of the pockets of his shirt, out of sight.

"Too afraid to fight back?" the voice taunted, the owner leaning against the wall, eyes shining with a smug smirk.

Naruto scratched his head as he thought, "Why does this person remind me of Sasuke? It better not be him playing some lame joke on me!"

As his adversary charged again, Naruto's hands flowed through several signs as he yelled, "TAGU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Fifty clones of him appeared all along the alleyway, each yelling out threats and shaking their fists. The figure stopped in his tracks, stalling as it tried to figure out which to strike. One of the clones sniggered and asked, "What's wrong? Too afraid to fight!"

His opponent held out a bright, green, shining gem similar to the one Naruto found, and yelled, "CHAOS BLAST!"

A huge field of energy erupted from the figure, spreading quickly through the area and causing buildings to crumble in its wake. The shadow clones of Naruto instantly vanished as the powerful blast tore them apart. Naruto had no time to think; before he knew it, the blast sent him hurtling into the remains of the walls in a huge explosion of dirt and grime.

His enemy wiped rubble from his arms, stepping over Naruto's body and easing the shiny red gem from his pocket before vanishing into thin air. Everything became eerily quiet as the dust settled.

People living in the surrounding areas turned at the sound of the explosion, watching several old buildings collapse. This was a dirtier part of town and many found this unimportant in their lives. The spectators continued with their business, uninterested in a creepy sort of way.

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Kakashi leaned against a tree, reading his book as Sakura paced around, not in good temper. Her fists were clenched and she was mumbling to herself. "Why does that stupid Naruto-kun always have to be late? I have half a mind to go to his house and beat him up…"

Sasuke watched her pace for a few minutes before putting his hand on his forehead as if he had a headache. He spoke quietly, "He's never been this late before, I'm starting to think he's in trouble."

Sakura stopped in her tracks and asked, "You're worried? Maybe you're right, maybe he is in trouble…" Her inner self, her alter ego, screamed, "I DON'T CARE; HE'S JUST BEING STUPID!"

Kakashi looked up from his book and suggested, "Let's just wait for a few more minutes then go to his house and see." He returned his gaze back to the lines of text.

A few minutes passed, and still no Naruto. An uneasy silence settled over the group as they waited longer and longer, agitation growing. Finally Sasuke said, "This is pointless. If he isn't here by now, we should start without him."

Sakura wringed her hands, finally feeling worried. "Naruto…" she thought, "What could make you so late…"

As he stood up to his full height, Kakashi said, "Let's go to his house and if he's not there, we'll track him." Adjusting his headband to a more comfortable position on his forehead he followed the two ninjas-in-training.

They knocked on the door, waiting only a few seconds before forcing it open and investigating inside. Sasuke stared at the "anti-Sasuke" posters littering the walls with his eyebrow raised.

Sakura mumbled to herself as she searched the room, every so often stepping on an empty cup of instant ramen. She caught site of the posters and commented, "He's so immature…"

"He's not here…" Kakashi informed them, even though the pair already found out for themselves, "I picked up on his trail and some of the dogs are already following his scent. It would appear he went the total opposite way of our meeting place. I find this highly unusual; it's unlike Naruto to run before a mission. Becoming Hokage is too important for him to do something like that." He sighed, "If we don't find him soon, I'm going to report his absence to the 3rd Hokage and we'll send out search teams."

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A dark and sinister shadow was loaming over the west side of the village, sending shudders down the backs of those who dared venture too far outside. Evil was spreading inch by inch as unseasoned mists swirled among the trees, its icy grip robbing the foliage of his health.

Sorat smirked as he watched the huts in the afternoon sun. "Soon there won't be a thing left…" he murmured to himself, grinning in anticipation, showing a row of perfectly straight, pointed teeth. "And I have Shadow to thank for this…"

He turned, almost startled to see the crimson and black hedgehog standing next to him, having arrived at the speed of light. The hedgehog was shorter than most humans, standing only about to their waists. He had chilling red eyes, gold rings around his wrists and ankles, and a small tuft of white fur on his chest. His body, similar to the shape of Sonic's, was built for speed and strength and his mind was intent on his goal—to destroy this world.

He had arrived here by an accident with the seven chaos emeralds, seven mystical stones which could allow the user to warp time and space. Upon arrival, he instantly met Sorat and joined up with him after being fed a series of lies. Shadow was not evil, but he was not good. He was only interested in self-preservation and holding grudges against those he hated, he no longer had room in his heart for friends, just death and destruction.

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**Well this chapter was way longer than my last one but I hoped you guys liked it…I'm going to change the summary and title of this story soon (if I can) because I've just had a whole new idea for this plot. Anyways…I dunno if I should continue this story or just delete it because I'm not sure if people even like it or not. So send in a review telling me if I should continue and not and give legitimate reasons and examples why. I'm not gonna buy, "I just don't like it." I can't wait to start on the Redwall story, however. I know much more about Redwall than I know about Naruto. :D**


	3. Lost and Found

**Disclaimer: **As I have stated countless times before…I obviously don't own the Naruto characters OR the Sonic characters. Any questions? I hope not.

**Time for another update! Sry if it seems a bit slow with the updating but I'm trying to update another story as well. Not to mention a few others things I'm writing. So yeah…just bear with me! Of course send in reviews and such:) I'm almost done with my other Sonic fanfiction so i can update this one more often until i start another one. I usually only do one at a time. **

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One of the dogs which Kakashi summoned sniffed the ground, following a trail it had recently found. "hmmm…" it thought as its nose led him to a new part of the village. As he continued to follow, he ignored the stares the people gave him. Even though he wasn't looking, he could feel the hostility emanating from them.

As he reached a huge pile of rubble scattered and piled densely in between two buildings, dust shot up his nose. He snorted a few times in annoyance, his sense of smell greatly reduced as he coughed and sputtered, his leaf-forehead protector slipping over his eyes. Staggering around a few minutes, the dog ran straight into a pile of rocks. Underneath the musty odor, he could clearly smell Naruto.

He wobbled his head, shaking the headband so that it hung loosely around his neck and sprinted back to Kakashi, delivering his message with authority.

Kakashi nodded and turned to the remainder of Team Seven. "Alright, it seems like we know where Naruto is, but according to the dog he may be in trouble."

Sasuke smirked, "What did I tell you? He's always getting himself into trouble. He's too immature to survive more than one day alone." He and Sakura trailed behind Kakashi, the dog leading. Upon arrival, the canine vanished, having finished his mission.

"Start digging, gang." Kakashi ordered, shoving aside a few large boulders, his chakra greatly aiding him.

Sakura groaned and answered, "Yes, Kakashi-sensei." But her inner-self was screaming, "WHY THE HECK DOES HE GET INTO THESE THINGS!"

Sasuke began shifting rubble as well, his finely toned muscles easily moving the weight. A slight moaning emitted from the pile and the three ninjas dug faster, dust and rocks scrambling downwards.

Sakura shrieked as she saw a bloody hand twitching under a pile of rubble. "Guys! I think it's Naruto and he's hurt!" She pointed and Kakashi and Sasuke joined her, forcing the rocks into a downhill slide. Naruto lay bleeding in a dozen places with a trail of blood coursing down his face from a wound in his head. His eyes fluttered open and he saw the blurry shapes of Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi hovering over him. "Kakashi-sensei…" he moaned, head lulling slightly as his sight focused. A tremor of pain raced up his skull and he winced. "i…it…"

Kakashi put his finger to his own lips and shushed him gently, lifting him and leaping down to the ground. "Naruto, don't strain yourself. You can tell us this later."

Naruto croaked, "b…but…i…it's important…" He began coughing up blood, the red liquid spraying onto the ground and on Kakashi's arm.

"ew…" Sakura groaned, dodging some of the blood. Kakashi glanced at Sasuke staring into space and ordered, "Sasuke, I'm taking him to the hospital, you and Sakura follow behind."

They nodded and teleported after Kakashi vanished. When they arrived, he was already speaking to a worker at the hospital. The women took Naruto away on a stretcher, turning right and entering a room. She and a few of her assistants lifted him onto a bed, covering him with a blanket as they searched for bandages and the like. Naruto's blood quickly soaked into the pure white linens.

Kakashi and the remainder of team seven sat outside the door on wooden benches which ran along the perimeter of the room. Sasuke sat in the corner with his arms crossed, clearly bored. Sakura sat nearby, wringing her hand in nervous agitation. Kakashi watched the pair with slight amusement.

The nurse stepped outside, gently closing the door behind her. "He's bandaged up and not fatally injured although he took a few blows to the head which look pretty serious. And he keeps muttering something about being Hokage in his sleep…I have a reason to question his sanity."

Kakashi chuckled and stood up, "No, he's always saying something about that…so he's been insane for a while then."

Sakura leapt up, "So we can visit him?"

The nurse shook her head, "I'd prefer it if you'd wait until tomorrow. Give him time to start feeling better."

Kakashi nodded, "Okay, gang, tomorrow it is…"

Sasuke stood up, keeping his arms crossed as he mumbled, "sure…"

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Sorat called Shadow to him and they discussed a few things. "Tell me about that kid you beat up?" he ordered.

Shadow shrugged and began to relate the fight in his soft, dangerous tone. As he did so, he couldn't stop staring at his red chaos emerald as it cast a lambent glow across his cold features.

Sorat thought upon this information, "You say he became many…and they all were solid?"

Shadow nodded, hardly looking up.

"The Shadow Clone technique…" he murmured. "Did this kid have yellow hair by any chance?"

Shadow nodded again.

"The nine tailed demon fox…" Sorat whispered to himself. He grinned to himself before explaining his newest plot to Shadow, "We'll find him and kidnap him…and perhaps use him against his friends…and those strange emeralds you are so obsessed with…all seven of them should have the power to release the demon inside of the boy…" He couldn't help but smirk as the brilliantidea hatched in his brain. "It's a perfect plan…"

Shadow shrugged.

"Shadow," Sorat ordered, "Find the boy, look in the alley and the hospitals, and bring him to me. Our plan shall begin…"

Shadow nodded and reminded him, "You must keep your side of the promise. I help you and you help me get the emeralds so I can return home."

Sorat nodded, eyes hiding his amusement, "But of course, Shadow, I wouldn't dream of tricking you."

Without another word, Shadow dashed down into the village, running too fast to be detected.

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**Okay, that's the third chapter. I just finished outlining all the chapters out and I'm guessing there will be around 13 chapters or so. Don't forget to send in a review and stuff. I've decided to continue it for the time being…and I'm trying to see which of my fanfictions get the most reviews…so far the Sonic fanfiction "Cursed Friendship" is winning with a total of 48 reviews…oh well  I know this is shorter than the last chapter…but I didn't want to ramble on more than I already did. Lolz…**


	4. A Shadowy Visitor

**Disclaimer: **I don't own nor claim to own Naruto or the Sonic characters.

**Okay…here's the next chapter:) I'm finally finished with my other fanfic so I can devote more time to this one until I start another. I hope that made sense. Lolz…well anyways, moving along now, time for chapter 4 to begin. (and they say, "finally…")**

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Night had fallen softly, stars illumining the vast stretch of sky as they twinkled through the atmosphere. The moon was lit in a corona of light and everything was silent except for a few random cricket chirps. The grass swayed as Shadow rushed past.

He stopped a few seconds, glancing around, wary of the intense and yet peaceful silence. Without bothering to stay hidden any longer, Shadow approached the large hospital building; eyes fixed on a window a ten stories up—Naruto's window. His powerful information gathering skills had led him right to this location.

Upon reaching the wall, he scaled it effortlessly, using window sills as platforms with which to jump onto, and finding many nice footholds when sills were scarce or deemed dangerous. He dropped into Naruto's hospital room, landing silently on the hardwood floor and studying the layout of the room. He reached Naruto, squinting through the darkness at his bandages. _Strange…._ Shadow thought, unraveling on of the bandages, _He's nearly completely healed…_

Naruto moaned in his sleep, shifting positions. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he barely made out the shape of Shadow. "Who are you?" he asked, sitting up and scratching his head.

Shadow sighed, "No one of consequence…"

"Yeah right." Naruto answered, tying his forehead protector above his eyes, "If you weren't important, you wouldn't be trying to sneak into my room in the middle of the night. I know I'm cool and all, but you can wait for the proper time of visiting…"

Shadow was speechless as he raised an eyebrow. "Er…"

Naruto just continued on, "So, what exactly are you? You kind of remind me of something I ran into earlier, but I think it was a bit taller than you. That's the reason I'm in here…"

"Um…" Shadow was still a bit surprised. "er…I'm really a part of your dream. And, I'm telling you to go back to sleep…"

"Wait a minute!" Naruto exclaimed, "If I'm already asleep, how do I go to sleep? You don't make any sense!"

Shadow shrugged, "This is a dream; it's not supposed to make sense…"

"Oh…" Naruto thought a moment, "Nah, I'd rather not…"

Shadow lost patience really quickly. _This kid is crazy! He's worse than Sonic!_ He walked towards Naruto, swinging his fist towards his head with lightning speed.

Naruto's eyes widened as he ducked and rolled out of bed, returning the blow. Grunting in pain, Shadow crashed into a piece of hospital equipment and leapt up and spun-dashed at Naruto, kicking him in the face twice.

"HEY! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Naruto yelled, "AND WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND ATTACKING ME!"

"Shush!" Shadow ordered, "You'll wake up this whole hospital…and if you don't come quietly I'll be sure to kill the first who enters this room. I've been ordered to take you prisoner…"

Naruto immediately became quiet as he glared at Shadow. _This strange hedgehog must be the cause of all those strange things happening in the village. So it's my mission to learn more about it and the only way I can do that is if I let him take me prisoner then I can maybe complete my mission without that stupid Sasuke!_ He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and asked, "What will happen to me if I come with you?"

Shadow shrugged, "That was just how I was ordered."

"So is that it! Are you a mindless puppet! I would think anyone who was strong like you would be able to make his own decisions!"

"That is none of your business…" Shadow hissed in return, "I am no puppet…and you are in no position to argue with me…" He slammed his fist into Naruto's head one last time, catching the ninja-in-training before he fell to the ground unconscious. "Hmph!" Shadow thought, carrying him out of the room and disappearing into the sunrise.

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**Yes, I know, short chapter. I've been in writers block mode right now and forced myself to write each word and let me tell you, it took a long time. But anyhow, send in a review. The next chapter will come sooner than the last. :) (Only like 700 words...wow)**


	5. Replaced

**Disclaimer: Ummmmm….I don't own Naruto or Shadow…**

**Yup…I know…slow updates…--slaps hand-- I got a lot goin' on…so I hope ya'll will forgive me. Please read and send in a review (I'm trying to get more than my last story!). Erm…that's all I have to say right now so…heh…--awkward silence—read on.**

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"Naruto?" Came the timid call of Hinata's voice as she gently rapped on his hospital door. She had arrived early to beat any crowd that could possibly accumulate to visit. "Naruto? Are you awake?"

No answer came.

"He must be still sleeping." She thought, "Should I wake him up or would that make him angry?" She slowly pushed the door open, stepping inside and looking around, eyes widening with horror. "Naruto? Where are you?" she asked herself.

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"Very good…." Sorat hissed, "This is the nine-tailed demon fox…perfect…" He patiently waited for Shadow to leave.

Shadow stood silently, eyes never leaving Sorat.

"What do you want!" Sorat demanded, hair on the back of his neck rising in unease at Shadow's stare.

"I want to make sure you'll keep your promise…the people at the village will notice he's gone…and will hunt for us…I'm not sticking around for them to find me. Fulfill your promise now!"

Sorat couldn't stop the laughter that came from deep inside his throat and rolled out of his mouth like a boulder hurling down a dark abyss. "Things such as that aren't so simple, hedgehog. We'll get the emeralds, sure enough, so stop worrying. But as for the villagers…we'll just have to find a replacement for the time being."

Shadow nodded, suspicions temporarily pacified. "I'm not your minion…to just order around…" Shadow reminded him, disappearing into the surrounding forest, holding one of the seven chaos emeralds fondly.

Sorat smirked down at his new captive, "Uzamaki Naruto…" he thought to himself, "I have you here at last…" He half turned as another of his minion stepped from inside the forest.

The minion had a dependable face, framed by sheets of stiff, silver hair. His steely gray eyes darted around before resting in a humbled position. "Sir? I sensed you needed my presence…"

"Yes…you sensed correctly, Steell. I need for you to replace the kid to avoid arousing suspicion in the village. You've done your research, I trust, you shouldn't have much trouble."

Steell nodded, "Of course." He performed a few hand signs, mumbling the jutsu name as he took on the appearance of Naruto. He turned to leave.

"Wait, Steell, what do you know about that hedgehog?"

Steell paused, "I know only a little bit of information about him…he talks in his sleep."

Sorat indicated for him to continue.

"He usually speaks about a girl named Maria…but in strangled tones…like he's in bitter anguish. He curses and rants about humans…and power…and he mentioned the name Sonic a few times as well. I couldn't identify his emotions at that time…" he trailed off.

"No wonder he's so easy to manipulate." Sorat replied, "Clearly his mind is stuck in the past and he has no clue where he's going…just perfect for us anyways."

Noticing that Sorat had lost interest in the conversation, Steell set out for the hospital, still in Naruto's form. He climbed through the window right before Hinata raised the alarm.

"Um…Naruto? What were you doing outside?" She asked, "But I'm glad to see you are alright. You see…um…well…" She blushed and poked her two pointer fingers together shyly.

Steell blinked a few times, "My work never ends…" he thought to himself before replying, "Thanks. I'm just fine and I was just, um, er, taking a morning stroll and the hospital people don't like for people to do that so I had to sneak out!" He nodded to emphasize his point. "This might be harder than I thought." Steell mused to himself, "And why can't I remember that stupid girl's name!"

Hinata completely bought that story. "Oh, um, well, you seem to be a lot better. I was really worried…"

Steell waited until Hinata left before sitting down on the hospital bed and speaking into a walkie talkie. "No further orders, sir?"

Sorat's voice came over, crackling like decaying leaves, "For now…no. If you so happen to see an emerald similar in size to the one that hedgehog carries around, please bring it to me. We'll see if we can't unleash that demon fox in all its fury."

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**Okay, Chapter 5 is finished! I suppose I should write chapter 6 in advance (before school begins) and then post it next week. Send in a review and all that other jazz!**


	6. The beginnings of an alliance

**Disclaimer**: **I don't own Naruto or Shadow…b/c if I did, I would have a lot of money, and I wouldn't be writing fanfictions on the internet. Lolz**

**Okay, first week of school went bye sort of quickly for me, and I've been drowning in homework (oh shoot, I forgot to do my algebra!) But since today is labor day, and I'm a procrastinator, I'm working on it now b/c it's extremely quiet in the house (hurray for family members who sleep late!)**

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Steell spent all day in the hospital, impatiently acting as Naruto when visitors came in. "When will this end!" he thought, "I better get paid a lot for this…"

He turned abruptly as the door opened and Sakura entered, dragging a grumpy looking Sasuke along. "Oh come on, Sasuke!" she exclaimed, "He's a team member. Besides, it's better than being on another rank D mission."

Steell thought a moment, barely recalling their names. "Hiya, Sakura!" he exclaimed, adding false cheeriness to his voice.

Sasuke crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, watching Steell with growing suspicion. "Something strange is going on here." He thought.

Sakura happily smiled, saying, "I'm glad you were alright. I thought that we'd visit you today." Her alter ego screamed, "YEAH! I SKIPPED A D-RANK MISSION!"

Steell glanced at Sasuke a moment and asked, "Aren't you glad to see I'm alright, Sasuke! Or did you think I was going to be hurt forever? I'm going to get better than you one day, so don't underestimate me!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, still deep in thought. "I know his chakra allows him to heal that quickly, but he's not acting quite like himself. I don't know what it is, but something is definitely different."

A nurse peered through the open door and announced, "Naruto Uzamaki, we're supposed to release you today. You may go, a mysterious caller has paid for your visit here."

"A mysterious caller?" Sakura asked, "Was it Kakashi-sensei?"

"Finally…" Steell thought. Glancing back at Sasuke, he noticed that the boy was watching him carefully with a gaze that sent tremors down his spine. "What!" he thought, stunned, "I feel like he's looking right through me!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Wave upon wave of pain racked Naruto's skull as he gradually opened his eyes, unable to see straight. "What happened?" He asked groggily as a vague figure swam into view.

Sorat laughed to himself, answering in his idea of a friendly voice, "A friend of mine thought you'd like to pay a visit."

"Wha--?" Naruto started, rubbing his head, fingers feeling a sizable lump near the back. Pain pulsed from it even faster as his hand slightly touched it. Memories of last night slapped his brain like salt water in cuts. "Argh!" he yelled, falling back to the ground, Shadow's red eyes haunting the corridors of his thoughts.

The low, deadly rumble of Sorat's laugh once again forced itself from his throat. "I would have thought that the nine tailed fox would be less pathetic…but I suppose beggars can't be choosers. But of course, I never beg, I get what I want…"

Something about that statement made Naruto shiver as he asked, "What exactly do you want?"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt in telling you…since you are already too defenseless to stop it anyways. I plan to unleash the nine tailed demon fox and all its fury on this village."

Naruto felt his very chakra boil with unease. "How do you plan to do that?" he wanted to know, "because I'll never let you control me OR the nine tail demon fox's chakra!"

"You remember that gem you found, boy, don't you…" Sorat started, "that gem will be the very downfall of your village, that gem and six others. Once the beast is unleashed, there will be no stopping it."

"SAKARA OR KAKASHI-SENSEI WILL NOTICE I'M GONE! THEY'LL LOOK FOR ME, YOU HEAR! AND I'LL FIND A WAY TO ESCAPE AND STOP YOU, BELIEVE IT!" Without realizing it, Naruto had leapt to his feet, shaking his fist in anger.

Not pausing to wait for a reaction, Naruto sprung into motion, feet a blur as he raced towards a gap in the trees, eyes never looking back. He wasn't sure if he was being followed, but he didn't want to chance being caught again. "He can't unleash the fox." He reassured himself, "Especially if he can't find the fox." Keeping his reckless pace, Naruto delved deep into his mind, up to where the very demon fox rested. "Please, lend me some of your power." He pleaded, "We have to escape or else that guy will control us…"

The fox roared, wrinkling up its nose, but letting its chakra flow into Naruto's body, fueling his quickly tiring muscles.

"Thank-you…" Naruto murmured, returning to reality.

A slow rain pattered into existence, gradually picking up and soon splashing in great currents down on Naruto. His clothes were soaked and he was miserable as his instinct kept begging him to stop and find shelter. "But he'll find me…" he reminded himself. A cave slightly in the distance, etched into a cliff, seemed to welcome him with its security and dryness. Naruto judged for it to be only about thirty feet up and the climb, although treacherous due to how slick the rocks were from the rain, seemed possible. Confidently, he scaled the rock, finding plenty of foot holds up until the top where he pulled himself over the edge, collapsing in the mouth of the cave.

Dark eyes gleamed in the darkness as a horribly familiar voice echoed even through the furthermost passageways of the cave. "You again? Why must my life be haunted!"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, shivering from both fear and the cold, before pushing himself to his feet and taking a few steps forwards, "If anyone is haunting anyone, it's you haunting me! Gosh, first you attack me over some stupid gem, then you kidnap me from the hospital and dump me with this freaky guy who only wants to destroy everything! What is your problem! You really are just a puppet to him, aren't you."

"Stop calling me that!" Shadow demanded, "True, I didn't do any of that stuff because I really wanted to! That would be a waste of time otherwise!"

"Then why do you work for that guy?" Naruto decided that Shadow was no danger right now, and he would rather sit dry in the cave than continue running in the rain anyway.

"None of your business!" Shadow suddenly yelled moodily, hands tightening around the chaos emerald. "You're lucky I don't feel like destroying you right now!"

Naruto sighed. The swirling mass of inclement weather outside seemed to reflect his mood. The silence became unbearable, so he decided to speak. "Um, I'm called Naruto…"

"Shadow."

"I don't know why you work for that guy, and maybe you don't want to tell me, but, maybe we're kinda alike…" Naruto started, voice trailing off and blending with the rain.

A few minutes of silence ticked by until Shadow's voice broke it, "How so?"

"I don't really belong here in this village, and you don't belong here in this world…maybe what's keeping us going is the desire to find a place where we are loved…and not be the source of problems for everyone or the reason why innocent lives were lost and looked at as a monster because of it." Naruto's voice sounded almost choked.

"Perhaps…" Shadow thought, "Maybe I am just a puppet, but that doesn't change the fact that I need to get home…I guess it was my hard luck to have been created in the first place. If I wasn't, Maria would be alive…and happy." He sighed, almost able to imagine Maria there beside him, comforting him through the rain, a memory of her melodious voice echoing in his ears, "Shadow! I know we'll be best friends! You see, we're alike, I don't really have a mother, and neither do you, but if we stick together, I'm sure we can be happy."

He turned to face Naruto, "Maybe you're right…and…it's our misfortune to have been born…"

Shaking his head vigorously, Naruto answered, "Not misfortune. It's our fortune to be where we are today. I may be looked down upon, but I'm going to become the best ninja there is and be Hokage so people will look up to me and give the respect I deserve! I can do great things for the village and be the most powerful!"

"I'm tired of talking…" Shadow informed him, stepping out into the rain, water soaking his ebony fur. "I won't tell Sorat where you are…" He disappeared into the thick curtain of water, like an actor exiting a death scene.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Steell smiled, enjoying the pelting of the drops on the tin roof. "I hope that stupid kid isn't giving the boss too much trouble…then I'd be here even longer." He muttered to himself, staring at unbelief at the anti-Sasuke posters littering the place. "This kid is such a slob. All those posters, empty Ramen cups, a carton of rotten milk…ugh!"

He opened the door as a hand gently rapped on it. Upon sighting the onyx eyes of Sasuke, Steell was thrust into the wall, face to face with Sasuke's angry face as he yelled. "You aren't Naruto, are you! Who are you and what are you after!"

"How the heck did he figure out so quickly!" Steelle thought beneath a sweating face. His heart skipped a few beats, pumping faster and faster. "I thought I had everything I needed to know t impersonate him…"

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**Whoa…I think that was a bit longer than usual…maybe a bit boring, sry, but I had a lot of dialogue in it and not as much action in some parts. But the next chapter (which involves a chaos emerald by the way) will hold a lot more excitement. I started this on labor day…finished like…er…Thursday…so I did put a little bit of time on this chapter (that's what writers' block will do to ya. But I think I'm about ready to get out of it…I hope) Thanks for reading, please send in a review…b/c if you review, I usually look at the profiles of those people and read a few of their stories and that's a way to spread the news about your story. And of course I review on every chapter I can if I really like a story. Ttyl! **


	7. What the!

**Disclaimer: I don't own ANY Sonic or Naruto Characters.**

**Hey, here I am again, updating. –hears a couple of cheers— Anyways…w/ any luck, this chapter will hold more excitement than the last, considering how there will be a chaos emerald involved. Sooo…read n review, as I always say.**

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"I hope this rain stops soon," Naruto thought, "and I hope I can return home, gosh, I'm starving. I haven't eaten in what feels like three days." He sighed to himself, remembering his strange encounter the night before. "I don't know if I should consider him an ally or an enemy." He admitted to himself, standing up and walking further into the cave where a fire burned glumly, the flames waning with each passing moment and the light cast on the cave wall almost appearing sinister.

He stared back out at the weather, waiting to see if the storm clouds would dissipate and the rain cease, but he was rewarded with only harder winds of bitter, stinging cold. His heart filled with resentment. "Why don't they come look for me!" he thought, "I can't risk going out there alone! Not with that guy after the demon fox chakra looking for me …" he paused, "I have no allies…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sasuke thrust him into the wall twice more, yelling in his face, "TELL THE TRUTH!"

Steell gasped for air, tremors of pain running up and down his back. He hung there, completely helpless for a few minutes as he tried to find words to say. "How do you know I'm not Naruto? Are you just looking for attention or something!"

Sasuke released his tight grip, still cornering Steell against the wall as he answered in a level voice. "Let me tell you why you aren't Naruto then! I talked to Hinata on the way into the hospital, she told me you came in through the window when she entered, and as she was leaving, she thought she heard static, like a walkie-talkie. She didn't find much suspicion in it, but I did. And secondly, why else would Naruto be targeted for an attack if someone didn't want something from him? It seems all too strange. You are NOT Naruto."

Steell actually smiled, "And yet, you cannot prove it to your friends."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, cracking his knuckles against his other hand. "I'll be watching you closely." He threatened. "and I'll find a way to prove that you're a fake."

"Good luck." He taunted, pushing him aside and walking out the door right as his walkie talkie buzzed.

Sorat's voice crackled, "There's a chaos emerald, Shadow is already after it, but I want you to go as back up."

"Yes sir!" he answered, ignoring Sasuke who was furtively trying to listen in. He received the map in his mind and teleported instantly.

Using his sharingon, Sasuke followed him.

Shadow noticed Steell (as Naruto) arrive and glanced at him in utter confusion. "What the heck!" he thought, the new chaos emerald already in hand. Then he turned his gaze to Sasuke, noting the redness of his Sharingon and his expression, "Who does he remind me of?" Shadow asked himself, "I know it's definitely not Maria…but someone."

"That emerald." Sasuke thought, "I can feel power emanating from it."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"That's it!" Naruto yelled, slamming his fist against the wall, "If they don't care enough to look for me, then I'm just never coming back! I'll just go back and get my ramen and be on my way!" He angrily trudged from the cave, teleporting to the village.

Both Sasuke's and Shadow's eyes got huge as he appeared, "What the!" they said simultaneously.

Naruto caught sight of Steell, "HOW CAN YOU SAY I'VE BEEN REPLACED AND HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW HE WASN'T ME, SASUKE! WHAT ARE YOU, A COMPLETE IDIOT?"

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**I'm aware that it's short…but I'm also kinda paranoid nowadays…honors classes…they are not for people like me, that's for sure! Lolz. Anyways, I'm hoping to finish this sooner or later, so I might double chaos emeralds in the chapters and whatnot so then I can take a bit of a break from fanfiction for school work and such. (I might write while I'm gone, just on notebook paper so I have something to submit when I get back) Well…R and R!**


	8. Enter Sonic

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Sonic characters, and I don't claim to.**

**I've got an announcement: It's going to be a while before I update this again. I've got way too much on my mind, and it just doesn't flow like my other stories. You've probably noticed how each chapter gets more boring and choppier than the last, which I apologize for. I've just got writers block really bad for this story…but I'm going to try to keep updating on it, and put a lot more effort into the chapters (cringes in fear at all the work) I hope these turn out better. I may rewrite some chapters as well.**

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"Naruto, do you REALLY think I'm idiot enough to mistake him for you?" Sasuke asked, keeping his voice level.

Naruto nodded, "To be totally honest…yes."

"I mean, seriously, he's way less pathetic than you are…" Sasuke continued.

Shadow looked from Naruto to Naruto, his anime sweat drop growing larger as did his confusion. "uh…" was all he could manage to say.

Steele's impatience began to waver as he watched the confusion reign in the area. Without saying another word, he snatched the emerald from Shadow's gloved hand, sensing his mixed feelings. As the power shot up his arms, he let out a low, maniacal laugh, the chaos energy opening new possibilities in his mind. "The key to power is in the chaos…" he thought, urging more of the strange energy into his body. "With these, I won't have to serve anyone!"

Shadow watched him, too surprised to react yet. He glanced at Sasuke, noting the hunger in his eyes for the chaos emerald. "That's who he reminds me of…" He realized, "Me…"

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Evening cast sidelong shadows, filtered through the vibrant hues of the sunset, gently hugging every tree, house, stone, and bush. As he rushed through the landscape, Sonic did not notice his shadow struggling to keep up. All he knew was the freedom, the wind rushing past his spikes, and the uncontrollable urge to keep moving. Two chaos emeralds shimmered cheerfully in his hand, pulsing from the energy of his mood, sharing his excitement and overwhelming happiness.

He kept up his breakneck pace, leaping over gorges and canyons, red shoes moving in a great blur.

His sense of speed and joy was immediately shattered with the shriek of one word by one person. "SOOOOOOONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCC!" Amy yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth to add volume to her cry.

Sonic skidded to a halt, expression changing from excitement to dull boredom in the course of an instant. "Why me?" he asked silently as she ran towards him from her front door.

"Sonic! Guess what!"

"What?" he asked, a bit surprised she didn't bombard him with love like last time.

"I just got the cutest text message! It's from Shadow! He just admitted his undying love to me!" Amy exclaimed, hearts in her eyes.

Sonic cracked up laughing, "Um, Amy, I don't know how to say this…but…Shadow doesn't even have a cell phone. I think you've just been pranked." He sniggered to himself, holding his hands over his mouth, sides already splitting from laughter.

"WHAT!" Amy screamed, "ARE YOU JUST JEALOUS BECAUSE I LIKE SHADOW MORE THAN YOU NOW!"

Sonic shook his head, eyebrow raised. "Seriously, Amy, first of all, Shadow isn't the kind of hedgehog who would like you, and second of all, he doesn't have any friends, why would he need a cell phone?"

Amy's face fell, and tears began to stream from her eyes. "What would you care!" she yelled, pushing him and running. Sonic stumbled back several steps, falling right off the edge of a cliff.

(sry to leave ya'll at a cliff hanger!)

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Just as Steell was experiencing the last of the chaos energy, Sorat materialized out of nowhere, holding a chaos emerald and the Hokage's crystal ball. He sent a huge blast of energy at Steell, knocking him into the fence and picking the chaos emeralds from out of his limp hands. "No one betrays me and gets away with it…" he muttered, turning his gaze to Shadow and Naruto.

Shadow glared right back, crimsom eyes never leaving the bright emeralds in Sorat's hands. "There's a first time for everything…" he muttered, leaping at him, spinning so that his shoe slammed into Sorat's hand with a violent impact. Sorat watched him, the smirk never once leaving his lips as he remained still, hardly noticing the attack.

"I know you'd turn against me…" Sorat thought darkly, sending a blast of energy at Shadow as well, pinning him to the ground with a triangle of black electricity. Shadow grunted in pain, unable to move.

"Now, for you, Uzamaki Naruto, the prison of Kyubi…" Sorat continued, advancing on him, the Hokage's ball tucked under his arm, and the chaos emeralds shining fiercely, fueled by his hatred and evil.

"What have you done to the Hokage?" Naruto demanded, backing up a few steps in terror. "If he beat the Hokage, I don't stand a chance…" he thought.

"You're right, you don't." Sorat hissed in his mind. "But I'll be kind enough to let you live, but your friends won't be so lucky, especially not that lying hedgerat!"

"I resent that statement." Shadow growled.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sonic fell for what seemed like ages. He even remembered the fear vanishing, as all he felt was the continous motion of freefalling. "Wow, this is just like running." He noticed, "The same speed, and wind." He held tight to the chaos emeralds, fearing that if he dropped them, he would lose them forever. "Except this will kill me…" Sonic added wistfully.

He suddenly hit his head with the palm of his hand. "Duh, chaos control!" he yelled, his voice echoing from rocky side to side. He disappeared in a burst of light.

Somehow the energy seemed to have knocked him out, and when he came to, several people were staring at him with large curious eyes.

"Ugh…where am I?" He asked, sitting up and shaking his head, ridding himself of his dizziness.

"Konoha…" A girl wearing red answered.

Sonic rubbed his eyes several times, at first thinking he was seeing Amy but realizing that this girl was just a human with pink hair and vivid green eyes. "Oh, that still doesn't answer my question…" he mumbled quietly, getting to his feet, grasping the chaos emeralds tighter.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Once again, Sorat was charging the energy in his hand, preparing to deal the finishing blow to Shadow. The ebony hedgehog knew his fate was clear, but he didn't want to give up hope just yet. "Red eye kid!" he suddenly shouted, referring to Sasuke, he threw the red chaos emerald to the boy, sighing in relief as he caught it easily in his left hand.

Sasuke smiled, the power welling up inside of him as he charged towards Sorat, slamming his fist into his face, pleased to see that Sorat flew back into a building. "I like this…" he commented, looking at the emerald with satisfaction.

"Get me out of here!" Shadow called over, starting to get cramped from his prison.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Fine…" he muttered.

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**Okay, that was my update for a while, I guess. Maybe I'll update within the next week, I'll just have to see. This chapter was better than the last few, I'm happy to admit, it's kind of encouraged me, sort of. –laughs-- Poor Amy…she'll have win Shadow or Sonic's hearts at this rate! Next chapter I'll put more chaos emeralds in, and if anyone wants to see other sonic charries end up in Konoha, just tell me and I'll put them here.**


	9. Crimson disaster

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic or Naruto characters**

**Uh…it's been a year…wow…since I've updated. So sorry about that. T-T**

**I'll be better now…I shall update cuz I have extra incentive (aka, all my friends on DA will destroy my face if I don't complete the story for them)**

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Shadow gave an immense sigh of relief as the electric prison flared up then died away. Sasuke hid a smile of satisfaction and pocketed the chaos emerald discreetly.

Shadow stood up and stretched, relieved to get out of the cramped position he suffered from for the past twenty minutes or so. His eyes never left the emerald in Sasuke's possession. He coolly outstretched an arm towards Sasuke and stared fixedly at him. "I'll have that back now…"

Sasuke sighed. "No, I think I'd rather keep it."

Shadow cracked his knuckles as a low growl trickled from his throat. "Not a wise choice…"

"Uh, guys…?" Naruto said.

"Not now, Naruto!" Both hedgehog and shinobi exclaimed at the same time. Their eyes were locked in a heated look of hatred.

"Guys!" Naruto persisted.

"SHUT UP!" Neither seemed surprised about their simultaneous outbursts.

Naruto sighed, "stupid Sasuke…" He glanced back at Sorat who was just beginning to glide back into the area. He shuddered at the twisted look of loathing sprawled across his face and redoubled his efforts to get the pair's attention. Finally he gave up and charged up a Rasengan, hoping that the impact of the chakra would snap the two out of their little face off.

As the ball of hot Chakra raced towards him, Sorat held out a hand and neatly caught it then closed his fingers around it, extinguishing it. He raised his unscathed hand at Naruto and sent a blast of dark energy hurling at him.

Shadow's ear twitched at the sound of a nearby building crashing into dust. He chanced a glance backwards then spun around to see Sorat. Before jumping back into the fight, he poked a harsh finger at Sasuke and snarled, "we'll settle this later, human."

Sorat was prepared for Shadow. The two chaos emeralds shone brightly, little sparks of power dancing through its well-polished sheen and across Sorat's fingers. "You have one chance to beg for mercy, hedgehog, and I may forgive you."

"Never." was Shadow's quick reply, "there's no turning back now…you abused the power of the emeralds."

"You speak as if you had a choice…" Sorat chuckled.

Sasuke and Naruto watched the pair with bated breaths; neither dared to interfere.

………………………………...

Sonic endured a long, winded explanation from the girl in red. Afterward, all he remembered was that he was somehow in a village called Konoha.

"Konoha, huh?" Sonic mused. "and it's full of humans…" he sighed. A wave of dizzying hunger swirled around in his stomach like a maelstrom in search of something to devour. He sighed, "Do you people have chili dogs?

"what?" Sakura asked. "chili…dogs?" The people around her gasped in horror. Sakura paused, unable to use the awkward silence to her advantage. "Your people…eat dogs?"

Sonic cocked an eyebrow to one side. "Who said that?" The meaning of the conversation took a few minutes to sink in. "Ooh, no, wait, it's just what they're called! It's a hotdog…which isn't made of dog…it's made of--" he paused abruptly and scratched his head. "er…what _is _a hotdog made of anyway?" he murmured to himself.

"This is awkward…" Sakura mumbled.

"Anyway…if you don't mind, I would like to go and find something to eat. All this adventure has me screaming for food."

"You could try ramen?" Sakura suggested. "It can be my treat…because, I want to learn about your world."

"So you'll trade food for answers?" Sonic asked with a small shrug. "Sounds like a deal to me." he paused, "none of you seem daunted that I can talk."

"A lot of our animals talk." Sakura explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

………………………………...

Sorat was the first to make a move. He seemed to meld into the very sunlight as he charged towards the unprepared hedgehog. Shadow's eyes widened as Sorat emerged into the visible spectrum, just in front of him, and impaled his narrow, black chest with a small, worn dagger. The ruby encrusted hilt stuck from his chest, the red gems complimenting the crimson blood which freely flowed around them. Shadow staggered forward a step, his hands reaching for the comfort of the emeralds. He toppled to his knees then to his side as the pain lanced from the dagger point deep within his body.

Sorat smirked. "First time for everything? I think not."

Sasuke wasted no time feeling sorry for the hedgehog. Instead, he kept his attention on the two chaos emeralds. "A replacement jutsu…" he thought briefly to himself, "may do the trick…"

He underestimated Sorat's ability to read minds and attempted his trick. The Chakra he used merely drifted around the emeralds before settling into the glow, its effects abated.

"Pathetic…" Sorat muttered. "I'll be back for your emerald later, boy, you best be prepared." He stepped into an abyss of dark light and was gone.

"That didn't quite go as planned." Sasuke admitted. His eyes wandered to Shadow and he sighed. "Why couldn't it have been Naruto instead…" he thought.

Naruto's train of thought was nothing short of different. "He's…he's dead…" he thought. An amalgam of emotions spun in his mind as memories both good and bad swirled together into one picture. "Is this my fault?" he wondered.

"He's not dead." Sasuke realized. He had finally walked over the hedgehog to check his pulse. "Looks like two people will be after this strange emerald soon." He sighed. "Naruto. Get Sakura and tell her to get her butt over here."

"You can't tell me what to do! Not after you allowed that guy to kill this poor creature!" Naruto snarled. It seemed only logical to place the blame on Sasuke now that he had finished thinking about it. This was what he always did.

"Idiot. If you want this pathetic thing to live, I suggest you get moving." He turned and walked away.

………………………………...

Although at first, Sonic had stared dubiously at the swirling mass of noodles, he realized that it was packed full of unique and yet delicious flavor. Now he could hardly stop himself from slurping it down in huge torrents. "Why don't they have this stuff on my planet?" he complained between mouthfuls.

"What _do _they have on your planet?" Sakura asked. She averted her eyes from the eating hedgehog and his terrible manners. "Ugh…almost as bad as Naruto." she thought.

"The usual. Lots of different people, houses, flowers, grass, mountains. Lots of space to roam around." Sonic set the bowl down, sighing with content happiness.

"And those emeralds you had in her hands earlier? Are they how you got here?

Sonic nodded. "I suppose so. Though, it's odd, two shouldn't have been enough to get me to a whole new dimension."

"Will it be enough to get you back?" Sakura asked. She could see the dilemma Sonic was facing.

Sonic shrugged. "It's worth a try…."

"And if it doesn't?" Sakura pressed.

"Then, I guess I'll be stuck here. But don't sweat it. Just new terrain to explore…I'm usually fine on my own."

"But don't you have frie--"

She spun around in her chair as Naruto came barging into the small ramen shop. "Sakura! We need your help!"

"What?! With what?!" She frantically dug through her purse and threw the money down on the counter and raced after Naruto.

Sonic sighed. "Tails will be fine without me. He's a smart little guy…and…I'm sure he'll protect Mobius just fine…" He tried reassuring himself with those small, worthless words of condolence. Guilt rumbled around in his chest, impeding his heart beat. "I sure will miss them all…"

………………………………...

Tails watched Sonic's door swing open and closed with the wind. "He must have left in a hurry again." he thought. He gently stepped inside the abode. Of course, it was a mess, which came to no surprise to the twin tailed fox. Sonic was never huge on cleanliness. He preferred the great outdoors to his own house anyway.

"So much for a chat." Tails thought, sitting down on a sofa and examining several pictures. Most of them were pictures from their youth, Sonic's confident smile serving as a foil to Tails' quick embarrassed chuckles. Tails smiled with pride. He knew he had the best friend in the whole world. "Well, it's worth the wait. I'll talk to him when he gets back." He opened the book he had taken along with him and began to read. For hours.


End file.
